Polling for the presidential election is incredible tight in Michigan. That means both the Democratic and Republican parties are vying for voters in the slimmest of margins. It appears both major party candidates think the place to make inroads is with Black men in Detroit.GUEST: Sam Robinson, reporter, Detroit Free Press See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many Michigan communities hurting badly right now. What can you say about what this year has been like, for people who have family, and friends in Lebanon, or Gaza, or Israel? Bilal Beydoun lives in Dearborn - the town where he grew up. And he’s one of about 82,000 Lebanese Americans who live in Michigan, many of whom still have ties to Lebanon. Today, he shares his personal story and perspective. GUEST: Bilal Beydoun, lifelong Dearbornite, Lebanese-American  See...

On today's episode, we sat down with Mara Cecelia Ostfeld, an associate research scientist and the research director at the University of Michigan's Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School of Public Policy. Mara helped us better recognize the attitudes of Michiganders across the Detroit Metro area relative to immigration. Ostfeld and other researchers focused their survey on Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti. Across those populations, residents were asked, "Do you think it...

Meredith Kennedy- Fisher is the executive director of Miigwech, Inc., an organization that aims to increase voting among tribal citizens this election year. She talked with host April Baer about what tribal voters care about in the upcoming election, some barriers for members who really want to vote, and a guide for every tribal ID that exists in Michigan. Kennedy-Fischer says people don't realize that there are 12 federally recognized tribes that exist in Michigan. "Now, a lot of that has...

The practice of Anishinaabe contemporary artist Kelly Church marries traditional craft with stunning visuals in her Black Ash basketry. In this conversation you'll hear how she learned the craft, how it's done, and the impact of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer on the tradition. You can see Kelly's work at the UM Stamps School in Ann Arbor now. GUEST: Kelly Church, Anishinaabe artist See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hadassah GreenSky is an artist, activist, and musician. She is also the organizer of the Vibes with the Tribes, an annual Native American and cultural festival held in Detroit since 2020. You may know her from a viral photo of her and a few fellow dancers in front of the former Christopher Columbus statue in Detroit. Another one of her projects is a documentary, referred to as The Red Ghetto, which documents the lives of Native American families living in the Cass Corridor. According to...

People have been immigrating to Michigan from Arab countries for more than 100 years. And they've been involved in politics and community building just as long. So, how does that history inform this present moment in American politics as news of recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon reach an Arab and Muslim American electorate already mobilized for Gaza? We talked to Hani Bawardi, associate professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He told us about how Arab Americans'...

When you’re planning to vote, it's easy to focus on the top of the ticket. But what about all those other important contests farther down the ballot? This year, Michigan votes on two races for the Michigan Supreme Court. The state’s highest court has decided some pretty big issues in the past five years. Need voters sift through thousands of pages of written opinions to be informed? And what about candidates aspiring to this court, who may or may not have judicial records? On this episode,...

When it comes to this year's election coverage, team Stateside is passing the mic. Our new limited-run podcast series What the Vote? is reported by Gen Z, for Gen Z. It’s all about what matters to young people in politics–and why they matter in this election. We kick off the series with an episode reported and written by Stateside production assistant Adan Quan all about what it means for young people to have a seat at the political table.  New episodes of What the Vote? drop every Tuesday...

A program to provide cash assistance to new moms and babies in the state is expanding. The state has become a sort of proving ground for basic income assistance. GUEST: Kate Wells, health reporter, Michigan Public See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music draws on over 50 years of the networks conversation with and about women musicians that have shaped the industry. The book was largely inspired by Turning the Tables, a series co-founded by music critic Ann Powers. She and Alison Fensterstock, editor of the new book, joined Stateside to chat about some of the Michigan musicians that have made their mark. Fensterstock's book tour will make a stop at Source Booksellers in Detroit on...

It's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday marking the New Year. And this year, it falls at a time when Israel has just invaded Lebanon, and is approaching the one-year mark of Hamas' attack on Israel. Events of the past year have left many Jews, here in Michigan, in the US – and certainly in Israel - as uncertain of the future as they’ve been in this young century.  GUEST: Shimri Zameret is an Israeli citizen, and a Lecturer and Researcher at the UM in the Program of International &...

Michigan has a sizable Lebanese-American population, many of whom have friends and family living in Lebanon. The community is reeling as tensions with Israel have spilled into an escalation of violence and civilian deaths. Documentarian Razi Jafri talks about reactions from the community in Michigan, and the political organizing coalescing among Arab Americans here. GUEST: Razi Jafri, journalist and documentarian   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new book, "The Black Utopians", is an intimate, historical look at the places of community, solace, and sustainability created by Black Americans over generations. That includes in Detroit, where The Church of the Black Madonna, became a hub for Black Christian Nationalism and Civil Rights. GUEST:  Aaron Robertson, author, "The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During his term, former U.S. President Donald Trump focused on the issue of manufacturing, specifically within the auto industry. Now he's promising more tariffs on foreign made goods and raw materials if he becomes president once again. One of the tariffs that he pursued back in 2018 was requested by a Michigan company, Whirlpool, the maker of various appliances. "Whirlpool had been petitioning the U.S. government for years that that their foreign competitors L.G. and Samsung had been...

Breaking down the nitty gritty of the utility bill everyone in southeast Michigan: DTE. The energy provider is a source of seemingly endless consternation as consumers feel the pinch from both frequent outages and DTE rate-hike requests. Detroit Free Press columnist Khalil AlHajal recently wrote about it in his column. GUEST: Khalil AlHajal, columnist, Detroit Free Press See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Energy gathered from the sun or wind is often seen as a solution to climate change, but there’s a rising conflict in small towns throughout the state over large-scale renewable energy projects. This election season there's been much discussion about how local township and county races have focused on this issue. Roger Kerson, a Michigan-based writer for Barn Raiser Media, detailed why residents in these communites are pushing back against renewable energy and how opposition goes back to the...

In the mid-1960s, Michigan State University fielded the first fully racially integrated football team. And they were really good. Those teams forever changed college football. And there efforts are documented in radio special "Teams of the Century" by producers Elizabeth Meister and Dan Collison with Long Haul Productions. Thanks to them for sharing their work on Stateside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

West Michigan chef Abra Berens is publishing a series of cookbooks drilling down on seasonal best. A former farmer  and veteran of Zingerman’s Deli kitchen and the cafe at Chicago’s celebrated Local Foods grocery…she’s got chops fancy enough for the company, as well as crowd pleasers that will work on a weeknight.  GUEST: Abra Berens, author of multiple cookbooks, including "Pulp" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan Public's newsroom launched a new web series this week called "Voter Voices" that hears from a diverse collection of Michiganders about what concerns them as they head into the voting booth this fall. GUEST: Jodi Westrick, director of digital audiences, Michigan Public Briana Rice, Detroit bureau reporter, Michigan Public     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A professor at Eastern Michigan University compiled stories of women in journalism who covered COVID, collecting oral histories of how the pandemic affected their work and lives.  GUEST: You Li, Assoc Professor of Journalism, EMU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artist Tiff Massey is the first Black woman to graduate from Cranbrook’s metalsmithing department. The multimedia artist is is perhaps best known today for her jewelry.While some of Massey's rings and chains are wearable, others are as large as furniture pieces, evoking the place these things have in Black culture. Stateside host April Baer visited Massey's studio last spring, in advance of the opening of her installation at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The exhibition, titled 7 Mile +...

Michigan Central Station once represented an era of industry and opportunity in Detroit, and served as a point of convergence for folks coming from all walks of life. Jamon Jordan, official historian for the city, joined Stateside to talk about what makes the renovation and reopening of the station building, now called Michigan Central, so meaningful. Hear April Baer's full conversation with Jordan on today's podcast. Find Stateside's coverage of Michigan Central's grand opening here. ...

For 33 years, the story of Anita Wiley's disappearance was unresolved. Now, Antonio Wiley, and Anita's sister, Tonya Mosley, have a produced a podcast about Anita's story called She Has a Name. The series chronicles the realties of the drug epidemic in Detroit in the 1980s, Wiley's and Mosely's experiences with trauma and grief, and the reconstruction of family bonds. We revisit Stateside's conversation with Mosely and Wiley on today's podcast. Find the original episode here. GUESTS ON THIS...

Folks in Flint will tell you, Comma Bookstore and Social Hub has been lifting the life of the city in many ways since its opening in 2020. But post-pandemic, amid economic uncertainty, this community asset is struggling to keep the doors open. Comma owner Egypt Otis recently started a GoFundMe campaign for the store. In doing so, she hoped to keep alive the vision she brought to life four years ago. Today, we’ll talk about what it takes to keep our indie bookstores alive–and why it matters...